Matt Albers

A free agent signing by Houston, Albers allowed one run in 10 relief innings to open 2014 before right shoulder tendinitis forced him to the disabled list in late April. The injury wasn't expected to ...

Albers (shoulder) is at least a week away from throwing, and will remain in Houston to continue his rehab while the team embarks on a 10-game road trip starting Monday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Albers took a small step back in his first season with the Indians in a middle-relief role, posting ratios that were worse than his combined results from 2012 between Arizona and Boston. At this stage, the strikeout-per-inning performance he delivered in 2011 appears to be an outlier, and as a contact-inducing reliever, Albers seems best suited for lower-leverage opportunities. He might also find use in the occasional situation where a groundball could induce a double play, as he carried an excellent 4.33 GB/FB mark last season. Albers will work in a late-inning role with the Astros after signing a one-year deal with Houston in December.

2013

The D-Backs acquired Albers from the Red Sox in July to bolster their right-handed bullpen depth. Over the final two months, Albers' strikeout rate jumped to 8.1 K/9, while he carried the highest groundball rate of his career (57.1%). The success Albers had overall in 2012 was hinged to an improved walk rate (3.3 BB/9), but his xFIP (3.90) is one indication that the 2.39 ERA he carried is unsustainable. Sent to Cleveland in December, Albert could wind up in a setup role at some point now that he's on a roster with less bullpen depth than the D-Backs.

2012

Albers was a bright light out of the Red Sox bullpen for much of last season and filled the role Boston expected Bobby Jenks to perform. All that ended in August when Albers couldn't buy an out and his ERA topped four once again. He's walked more than four batters per nine innings in his career, which isn't a good trait in relievers. We don't see a big role for him in Boston, should he make the 25-man roster out of spring training.

2011

The Orioles non-tendered Albers, who struggled throughout most of the season in the bullpen. He is 28-years-old, and odds are that a team will use him in middle relief since he doesn't miss enough bats (5.8 K/9IP) to warrant consideration for a high-leverage setup role. Albers signed with Boston in the offseason and pitched well enough in spring training to earn a spot on the major league roster.

2010

After returning from shoulder surgery, Albers spent the 2009 season on the shuttle between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk. His time in Baltimore wasn't pretty, and he may have lost some stuff after surgery in late 2008. Look for Albers in middle relief if he makes the team at all this spring.

2009

After he failed to make the rotation out of spring training, Albers became a very reliable pitcher out of the bullpen. Eventually, he earned another look in the rotation, but a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder ended his season prematurely. Keep an eye on Albers in spring training to see whether the Orioles want to put him back in the bullpen or make him a starter, but don't expect him to go back and forth again after the shoulder injury.

2008

Albers began last season at Triple-A Round Rock, but spent the vast majority of the year in the majors. He made 18 starts, and added 13 relief appearances, posting a 4-11 record with a 5.86 ERA, with unimpressive K:BB and HR rates. He'll be 25 years old when the season starts, so he still has time to develop, but he projects no higher than an end-of-the-rotation starter. The Astros sent him to the Orioles as part of the Miguel Tejada deal in December, so he'll try to break camp as Baltimore's No. 4 or No. 5 starter.

2007

Albers went 10-2 with a 2.17 ERA at Double-A Corpus Christi and 2-1 with a 3.96 ERA at Triple-A Round Rock before getting called up to the big league club. He went 0-2 in four appearances -- including two starts -- with the Astros. He consistently hits 93-94 mph with his fastball, and can get it up to 97 mph. His curveball and slider both have the potential to be plus pitches, and he has a chance to be the fifth starter in the rotation this season, competing with Fernando Nieve for that spot.

2006

Albers bounced back from suspension and rehab in 2004, and a rocky start to 2005, to stay among the Astros' top pitching prospects. He's a four-pitch guy who sits in the low 90s and projects as No. 4 starter in the majors. He's at least a year away.

2005

Albers enjoyed an 8-3 campaign with a 3.31 ERA and finished with 140 strikeouts in 111 innings for Low-A Lexington and should move up another level in the Astros minor league system in 2005.

2004

Alvers, a 23rd round Junior College pick in 2001, led the New York-Penn League in strikeouts in 2003 with 94 in 86 and a third innings. Largely ignored because of a squat size, he’s lost body fat from his six-foot frame since turning pro and needs to be considered a prospect based on his low-minor results thus far. He has a fastball that can get into the mid 90s and a hard, sharp breaking pitch. Despite the low level, he already has the makings of a change up, and will throw any pitch at any time. A showing at low Single-A is likely in 2004, and the 21-year-old should find himself at high Single-A by the end of the season. Older because of college time, his true test will be at the higher levels. If he’s able to continue his strikeout rate, he becomes a legitimate prospect.